Careful What You Pray For

I stood with rope in hand staring at the calf that had gotten out of its pen. My young daughter was watching and I so wanted to make a good impression, so I prayed, “God please let me rope this calf.”


I threw the rope and sure enough my first throw was right on target. I grinned toward the house where my daughter was watching out the window. Then suddenly I was pulled into reality by the now mad 600 pound calf on the run. I ran so fast I swear I could see the soles of my boots coming over my shoulders. Up the hill, and across the hill. Through the wild rose patch and across a few logs. This calf was going full tilt and me right behind. My chest was heaving, my heart racing. A cold sweat had broken out on my forehead. I lost my hat and footing all about the same time. I had to do something. I heard someone yelling for help, and thought man that sounds like my voice. Then I saw my answer, a lone pine tree. Surely I could wrap the rope now stretched out for 20 feet around this tree and stop that calf dead in its tracks. I had no idea as to the amount of centrifugal force the human body can stand.

The rope around the tree did not work! It only added to my forward momentum. What to do? What to do? Suddenly like the dawning of a new day I got an idea... let go of the rope!

No sooner had my hands released the white knuckle death grip, that I stopped safely. Exhausted, but safe. Through my sweat filled eyes I spotted the calf. She too had stopped.

She gave me a “I showed you” look, dropped her head and began to graze.

Being smarter than the animal class I inched toward the end of the rope, still attached to the calf. I gingerly reached for it and within a second I was on the run again! Much to my surprise I realized we were headed right for the barn. I grinned because this time I was ready. I now had experience.

At just the right moment I let go of the rope, slammed the gate and shouted “gottcha!” When I looked toward the house my daughter had left the window, apparently bored with my misadventure. I learned several things that day; first Pride goes before the fall. Second and perhaps the most important life skill is knowing when to hold on and when to let go, what to hold on to and what to release.